Shrimp Scampi

Dinner is usually the more elaborate meal in my home, only because I have more time to prepare it. Lunch is often a mix of leftovers from the night before with perhaps a few additions or a simple dish like the Shrimp Scampi featured in my post today. Pasta is a favourite amongst my children, so I often serve Shrimp Scampi with fettuccine or linguine tossed with a drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil, cherry tomatoes, fresh parsley, sometimes baby spinach, and freshly grated parmesan cheese — It makes for a simple, easy to prepare, yet balanced meal.

I often receive emails about what constitutes as healthy in my opinion. For one, I don’t associate low-fat with being healthy as you have probably noticed — I do use olive oil and butter in my cooking, however I use them in moderation and I splurge on quality oil as well as real organic butter. Healthy to me simply means real food, fresh organic ingredients, and wholesome meals. The term “healthy” differs from person to person, I suppose. Having said that, I wouldn’t make Shrimp Scampi on a regular basis, probably not even on a weekly basis — It is definitely one of those special dishes, best enjoyed every so often.

Below is a very simple recipe for this decadent dish. Hope you love it as much as my little ones do!

Melt the butter on medium heat. Add the olive oil, shallots, garlic, and red chilli flakes. Stir often for a minute, taking care not to burn the garlic or shallots.

Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the shrimp to the pan. Let the shrimp cook for a minute on each side.

Add the chicken broth and salt. Let the liquids reduce by half.

Once the shrimp is done, add the lemon juice, fresh parsley, and pepper.

Serve warm.

NOTE:

I use homemade chicken broth in place of the dry white wine that is often used in Shrimp Scampi. If you prefer using the wine, simply substitute 1/4 cup dry white wine for 1/2 cup chicken broth.

Serve this dish with crusty bread, rice and steamed veggies, or with a side of fettuccine. I add fresh parsley, cherry tomatoes, a dash of olive oil and freshly grated parmesan cheese to my fettuccine.